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Commissioners adopt Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund ordinance, debate commission versus staff review
Summary
The board adopted an ordinance creating a Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF) after debate about whether to form a citizen commission to recommend awards or to use staff/nonprofit guidelines; staff noted HUD 2026 area median family income of $154,400 and identified ZIP code 20653 as a disproportionately impacted area.
The Board of Commissioners voted to adopt an ordinance establishing a St. Mary's County Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund and authorized staff to implement the program and bring a portal online in the coming weeks.
Deputy county attorney John Houser summarized state law constraints and said the county may spend funds either in disproportionately impacted areas or low‑income communities; he noted HUD's 2026 area median family income for St. Mary's County is $154,400 and explained how HUD maps low‑income neighborhoods. "Median family income in Saint Mary's County is a $154,400," Houser said during the briefing. Commissioners debated whether to create a citizen commission (which several public commenters supported) or use an expedited staff‑driven or hybrid approach so funds are distributed more quickly. One commissioner outlined two funding pools discussed in the meeting: a $986,000 pool collected from license upgrades and approximately $600,000 in tax‑derived residuals; commissioners voted to adopt the ordinance with one vote recorded as no.
